An Interview with Ward Nicholson now has three parts on the web. Good overview of man's diet over the past 65 million years. Long but highly recommended reading. First published in Chet Day's "Health & Beyond" newsletter. Now part of a very comprehensive Beyond Vegetarianism site. Every argument that your vegetarian friends use to avoid meat for health reasons is debunked here.

You won't find many blogs listed here. Most are either chatter or the author is chronicling their paleo eating or attempts at it. But a bunch of goods ones are now out there, including ones providing primal wisdom:

Richard Nikoley has the blog Free The Animal. He loves meat eating. His diet is near paleo, with the addition of some gray-area foods that he likes. These days most of his posts are on food. One recent trend in the paleo community is trying to optimize the proportions of the foods eaten. If you've read my definition you'll know that I simply define the diet as foods in and out. One of Richard's posts: Optimality: A Fool's Errand? has produced a long discussion of this trend.

Nell Stephenson's blog Paleoista is mostly on preparing paleo foods, with some other paleo topics mixed in. She is a consultant in nutrition and fitness in the Los Angeles area. She lives the life of a Paleo endurance athlete, and practices what she preachs to the limit. A book is on the way.

Sarah Fragoso has the everyday paleo blog. It is mostly recipes which are creative and very close to being paleo. Look for the egg cupcakes. She has writen a book that includes recipes as well as advice for paleo beginners and diehards alike. It is the best paleo cookbook for families.

Michael Asgian has Paleo Village, a blog with posts on nutrition with a paleo viewpoint. Since starting in April 2011 posts have been averaging one a day. It has a Paleo Directory listing services for paleo people. Examples: farmer's markets, personal trainers, blogs and a restaurant.

Kristy A. has the Feasting on Fitness blog. She is a paleo-afficionado that picks a topic and extensively researches it on the various paleo websites.

Jan Engvald has studied food and health thoroughly in the literature. In Unexpected facts on... food he shows that today's health advice (more or less unchanged for more than 30 years) is a direct cause to the increase in national diseases like coronary heart disease, stroke, cancer, obesity, adult-onset diabetes, allergy, eye diseases, etc. His findings are low-carb and high-fat, close to paleo, though he allows high fat dairy.

Tamir Katz MD's Diet Information has a paleo orientation, though he doesn't call it that. He has a knack of clearly and directly explaining things. Excellent for friends and relatives of paleo eaters who are wondering why you eat weirdly. He also sells the book TBK Fitness Program. [Now in archive.org.]

Neanderthin (Paleo) eating is Vad's page where he tries to sum up, super concentrated, what this whole thing is about. Includes menus, weight loss, and more.

A diet high in phytic acid, which can be found in whole grains (it's in the bran) and beans like soy, is very detrimental for mineral absorption. Phytic acid strongly binds to minerals like calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium to form insoluble salts, phytates, which precipitate from the body and are not absorbed. Staffan Lindeberg has written a summary on phytic acid.

Two common foods clearly are Neolithic and avoiding them is key to a paleo diet. Here are link pages for avoiding them: Gluten-Free Page and No-Milk Page.

Dr. Brett Hill, a chiropractor, has written a few paleo sympathetic articles. He's a strong advocate of the Paleo Diet and has found it to be very effective for himself and his practice members/subscribers. His Is Milk Good For Us?. [Now in archive.org]

Meet Your Inner Mole Rat is a summary of Wrangham's hypothesis, which argues that humans became tuber eaters when we moved from the rain forest to the savanna.

Lutein/Zeaxanthin and Macular Health is an article discussing antioxidents and protection against the oxidizing ultraviolet radiation of the sun. The best dietary sources of antioxidants in general, and carotenoids specifically, are fruits and vegetables ­ and the more brightly colored, the better. Lutein and zeaxanthin are yellow pigments found in high concentrations in yellow fruits and vegetables as well as in dark green, leafy vegetables. In particular, spinach, kale and collard greens contain high levels of these two carotenoids.

JoAnn Betten of the PaleoFood mailing list and I have collected many recipes at PaleoFood.com. All have no grains, no gluten, no dairy, no beans/legumes, no refined sugar, or other Neolithic foods.

Chris Masterjohn has Cholesterol: Your Life Depends on It!, another web site pointing out that the war on cholesterol and the push to put people on statins is misguided. The site argues it is actually polyunsaturated fats, not saturated fats or cholesterol, that contribute to heart disease, cancer, liver damage, and aging. He also has a popular blog.

The Evolution of Human Nutrition by Barry Bogin is interesting reading which covers themes like homo erectus and up to date findings, and the relation to nutrition.

In William Calvin's The Ascent of Mind, Chapter 8 he discusses why he thinks that the Acheulian hand-ax (the oldest of the fancy stone tools of Homo erectus) was really a "killer frisbee." He argues that natural selection for throwing accuracy, which requires brain machinery, is the evolutionary scenario for bootstrapping higher intellectual functions. There are many more articles about evolution and human development throughout William's extensive site, though much of it these days is on climate change.

Lex Rooker has written The Pemmican Manual. It is the most complete description of making pemmican that I've seen.

Lynne Olver at the Morris County Library has assembled The food timeline, which gives you the history of Neolithic foods. Includes paleo foods, like animal domestication and when some foods where first noted in the literature.

The Brentwood Diet - 121 lbs lost in 7 months! is Eric David's story of successfully losing weight. The Brentwood Diet is a paleo diet variation that is very low fat and very low carb. One on the diet is supposed to be under a doctor's supervision. Possibly as such a diet can lead to rabbit starvation if too much protein is eaten. [Now in archive.org]

The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, M.D., Ph.D. argues that too much animal fat being dangerous is a myth. This is a collection of essays, complete with the critical references. He has two books which are below in the book section.

Dr. Joseph Mercola has an extensive web site on alternatives to traditional medicine. A hodge podge of different things. A small selection:

Krispin Sullivan has written The Lectin Report. It explains the background on lectins and their connection to health problems. A good place to start to learn about these toxic proteins in Neolithic foods.

Buried in the middle of The Revised Metabolic Oncolytic Regimen for Effecting Lysis in Solid Tumors one can find their diet recommendations for tumor control. It has a paleo diet orientation. Protein is 35%, preferably Omega 3 rich. Carbohydrates (also 35%) are only vegetables and fruit, no beans, bread, potatoes, or any grain. Then dietary and supplemental forms of fat should provide 20-30% of (daily) calories.

PaleoTube is a site by Mario Antoci, a fellow into traditional bow making and primitive skills. It is a resource for videos, photos, events, Live Video Chat.

Clicking on a thumbnail image will get you a larger image. To open a book in a new tab (easier for comparisons) hold down the Ctrl key when you click the link.

Wheat Belly: Lose the Wheat, Lose the Weight, and Find Your Path Back to Health by William Davis, MD. A renowned cardiologist explains how eliminating wheat from our diets can prevent fat storage, shrink unsightly "wheat belly" bulges, and reverse myriad health problems, like minor rashes and high blood sugar. The author contends that every single human will experience health improvement by giving up modern wheat. The book provides readers with a user-friendly, step-by-step plan to navigate a new, wheat-free lifestyle.
Informed by cutting-edge science and nutrition, along with case studies from men and women who have experienced life-changing transformations in their health after waving goodbye to wheat. The author's blog.
Published August 30, 2011.

The Paleo Solution: The Original Human Diet by Robb Wolf, a research biochemist. Readers will understand digestion, how protein, carbohydrate and fat influence hormones, and how this plays into fat loss, health or disease. They'll understand the significance of dietary fats whether the concern is performance, health, longevity, or making your fanny look good in a bikini. The book goes into how lifestyle factors such as sleep and stress influence the hormone cortisol. It gets into basic blood work and what things people should ask their doctor to include to better assess inflammation and health. It also includes a detailed 30-day meal plan and a beginner exercise program. The exercise program is geared to the beginner or someone who is quite de-conditioned but the nutritional info would be helpful for anyone regardless of background. The author's website is Robb Wolf. He likes to pass out the information via weekly podcasts. Here's a video Introduction to the book. And here is an excerpt from the book: How to Keep Feces Out of Your Bloodstream (or Lose 10 Pounds in 14 Days). The many Amazon reviews all rave about the book. Published September 14, 2010.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan gives a guided tour of 20th century food science, a history of "nutritionism" in America and a look at the marriage of government and the food industry. Then the book presents a commonsense shopping-and-eating guide, which like the paleo diet focuses on shopping the perimeter of the supermarket. He also now has a much shorter Food Rules: An Eater's Manual.

The Paleo Answer: 7 Days to Lose Weight, Feel Great, Stay Young by Loren Cordain. The author shows you how to supercharge the Paleo diet for optimal lifelong health and weight loss. Featuring a new prescriptive 7-day plan and surprising revelations from the author's original research, it's the most powerful Paleo guide yet. Published December 20, 2011.

The Art and Science of Low Carbohydrate Living: An Expert Guide to Making the Life-Saving Benefits of Carbohydrate Restriction Sustainable and Enjoyable by Stephen D. Phinney and Jeff S. Volek synthesizes the science into one readable source. The book is excellent for general low-carb high-fat moderate protein diets. While they begin with the idea that we should eat like a caveman, they do not follow the conclusion to its logical end and have us avoid the classes of foods our ancestors would have found unrecognizable. They avoid the metobolic syndrome, but not the autoimmune diseases. They mention that monosaturates should be favored, though they are not emphasized in the menu example. The book's daily menu examples also all include dairy in one form or another. No tips are given tips for those who do not do dairy. Published May 19, 2011. The Amazon reviews average to 4+.

The Primal Blueprint: Reprogram your genes for effortless weight loss, vibrant health, and boundless energy by Mark Sisson is a journey through human evolution, comparing the life and robust health of our hunter-gatherer ancestors with a day in the life of a modern family. The author offers a solution in 10 empowering Blueprint Lifestyle Laws: eat lots of plants and animals, avoid poisonous things, move frequently at a slow pace, lift heavy things, sprint once in a while, get adequate sleep, play, get adequate sunlight, avoid stupid mistakes, and use your brain. The reader learns how the right high-fat diet can actually help one lose weight and how popular low-fat, grain-based diets might trigger illness, disease, and lifelong weight gain. The author presents a comprehensive, well thought out paleo style eating plan in a humorous and organized manner. He backs up all his work with research, natural wisdom, and historical timelines. He disputes the role of dietary saturated fat in causation of arteriosclerosis, the role of cholesterol in promotion of heart disease, and the costly over-promotion of expensive, potentially toxic statin drugs. He criticizes our massive overeating of refined carbohydrates and urges avoidance of grains, cereals, bread and sugar. There is specific recommendation for "primal" food including more natural healthy fats and meats, fruits, veggies, and nuts. Some reviewers consider this to be the best of the various paleo books. The many Amazon reviews average to 5 stars. The author's popular and worthwhile web site: Mark's Daily Apple. The 2nd Edition was published January 14, 2012.

Bruce Fife also has a newly revised The Coconut Oil Miracle. The book describes the therapeutic properties of coconut oil. It offers a nutrition plan with dozens of recipes. The many Amazon reviews average to 4+. Many testimonials to coconut consumption.

Nutrition & Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston Price's book puts to rest a lot of myths about diet, dental, physical, and emotional health, and presents the strongest case for a super-nutritious Native (or Paleo) Diet. His book outlines the conditions/causes for exceptional health. A classic that was first published in 1938. The Soil and Health Library has a Book Review by Steve Solomon. If you don't buy the book at least read the review. N.B. If you live in one of the countries where this book is now in the public domain, you can read it online. But not if you live in a country where it is still under copyright protection.

Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It by Gary Taubes has fresh evidence for his claim that certain kinds of carbohydrates–not fats and not simply excess calories–have led to our current obesity epidemic. This book is more accessible than his first one. He covers insulin's regulation of our fat tissue. Published December 28, 2010.

The Sugar Addict's Total Recovery Program by Kathleen DesMaisons. While this isn't really a paleo book, it does point out issues with the foods we aren't eating. The books claims the excessive processed sugar consumed is responsible for "mood swings, depression, fatigue, fuzzy thinking, PMS, impulsivity ... [and] unpredictable temper." She says her research shows indulging in sugar highs should be treated much more seriously, akin to heroin or alcohol dependency, because sugar causes spikes in the neurotransmitters serotonin and beta-dopamine just like those drugs.

Dangerous Grains by James Braly and Ron Hoggan is the most comprehensive book ever written about the effects of gluten containing grains on the body. Includes a list of almost 200 diseases at the back of the book.

Life Without Bread: How a Low-Carbohydrate Diet Can Save Your Life by Christian B. Allan, Wolfgang Lutz. It is based on Dr. Lutz's work with thousands of patients in Austria. It deals with the health issues connected to high carb consumption. It is basically an English version and update of Dr. Lutz's 1967 book with the same title: Leben ohne Brot. He recommends eating only 72 grams of carbohydrates, and an unlimited amount of fat. And provides evidence as to why this is the healthiest diet. Read the review at Amazon by Todd Moody (it will be first!). See excerpts from his earlier edition: Dismantling a Myth: The Role of Fat and Carbohydrates in our Diet

Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival recommends a very paleo-like diet, and they also make a good argument for electric lighting as a major contributor to modern health problems. It's written in a very magazinish, overblown style, but the reasoning is overall sound.

Diana Schwarzbein is another M.D. that has come to realize that low carb is what works. See reviews at The Schwarzbein Principle. The book is based on her work with insulin-resistant patients with Type II diabetes. She concludes that low-fat diets cause heart attacks, eating fat makes you lose body fat, and it's important to eat high-cholesterol foods every day.

Ignore the Awkward! How the Cholesterol Myths Are Kept Alive by Uffe Ravnskov. Of his three books this is the newest and shortest. Two good book reviews are Tom Naughton's Dr. Ravnskov's New Book: Ignore the Awkward! and Laurence Chalem's Customer Review. All reviewers at Amazon give it 5 stars. Published January 10, 2010.

Pottenger's Cats: A Study in Nutrition by Francis Marion Pottenger, Jr. MD is a classic in the science of nutrition. Dr. Pottenger discovered that cats degenerated unless they were fed raw food.

The New Evolution Diet: What Our Paleolithic Ancestors Can Teach Us about Weight Loss, Fitness, and Aging by Arthur De Vany. Art is the grandfather of the "Paleo Lifestyle" movement. The plan is built on three principles: (1) eat three meals a day made up of nonstarchy vegetables, fruits, and lean proteins; (2) skip meals occasionally to promote a low fasting blood insulin level; and (3) exercise less, not more, in shorter, high-intensity bursts. Note that the book is anti-fat. All oils are to be avoided, though canola is considered okay for higher temperatures. Egg yolks are to be skipped now and then. Published December 21, 2010.

Fat and Cholesterol are Good for You by Uffe Ravnskov is a new book which includes updated and simplified sections from his previous one (The Cholesterol Myths). Ravnskov also presents his own idea about the cause of heart disease, an idea that explains all the findings that do not fit with the present view. It is a powerful book. Also see his web site. The Amazon.com reviews average to 5 stars. Published January 26, 2009.

The Paleolithic Prescription: A Program of Diet & Exercise and a Design for Living by S. Boyd Eaton, M.D., Marjorie Shostak and Melvin Konner. This book, published in 1988, was the start of the Paleolithic diet movement. Its recommendations are not in line with what today is considered a paleo diet, as whole grain breads and pastas, legumes and some low fat dairy products are allowed. However, it is still a profoundly important book. Used books are available for a reasonable price.

Catching Fire: How Cooking Made Us Human by Richard Wrangham. This book argues that the ease of digestion and the added nutritional value available in cooked food was the key behind the explosion of human intelligence. (Cooking gelatinizes starch, denatures protein, and softens all foods, permitting more complete digestion and energy extraction. As a result, the food processing apparatus shrinks, freeing energy to support a larger brain.) He then suggests that cooking led to what eventually became marriage and the sexual division of labor. The two most helpful reviews at Amazon get into great detail. The reviews average to 4+ stars.

Deadly Harvest: The Intimate Relationship Between Our Health and Our Food by Geoff Bond. The author is a nutritional anthropologist who has for years investigated both foods of the past and our prehistoric eating habits. Using the latest scientific research and studies of primitive tribal lifestyles, Bond first explains the actual diet that our ancestors followed--a diet that was and still is in harmony with the human species. He then describes how the foods in today's diets disrupt our biochemistry and digestive system, leading to health disorders such as allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, heart disease, osteoporosis, obesity, and more. Most important, he explains the appropriate measures we can take to avoid these diseases--and even beat them back--through healthy eating. The conclusions of Deadly Harvest are that disease control happens by eating a strict low-glycemic diet, lowering the percentage of body fat you carry around, eat a diet consisting of mostly non-starchy plant-based foods, eat a low-fat diet with ample amounts of omega-3 fats, maintain good colon health, engage in regular physical activity, get some daily sunshine, and reduce chronic stress. If you do this, then diseases like cancer, heart disease, digestive problems, allergies, autoimmune diseases, brain diseases, diabetes, and obesity can be avoided. The Amazon reviews average to 5 stars.

Trick And Treat - how 'healthy eating' is making us ill by Barry Groves. The author is one of the world's most outspoken proponents of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet. This book is an account of how and why the health-care establishment has got the concept of 'healthy eating' so wrong. Whereas Taubes work (see above) is a fairly straight forward review of the existing science, Groves expands into the politics of medical research and treatment to a much greater extent. "Trick and Treat" is divided into two parts. Part One describes the corruption in the health industry, points out the problems inherent in a high-carb, low-fat diet, and then prescribes a diet that leads to good health. The prescribed diet is high in fat - specifically animal fat, not polyunsaturated vegetable fat - and low in carbohydrates, with 60-70% of calories from fat, 15-25% of calories from protein, and a mere 10-15% of calories from carbohydrates. Part Two describes numerous diseases the author claims are the result of high carbohydrate consumption. These range from life-threatening disorders such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer to less serious problems such as acne, near-sightedness and dental problems. The Amazon reviews average to 4+ stars.

The Great Cholesterol Con by Anthony Colpo. The definitive book on the non-dangers of dietary cholesterol and saturated fat was The Cholesterol Myths by Uffe Ravnskov, 2000. This book is six years newer. Its forward is by Uffe Ravnskov. To get a wonderful description of the book read the leading review at Amazon. The many reviews there average to 5 stars.

Evolution of the Human Diet: The Known, the Unknown, and the Unknowable by Peter S. Ungar. Diet is key to understanding the ecology and evolution of our distant ancestors and their kin, the early hominins. A study of the range of foods eaten by our progenitors underscores just how unhealthy many of our diets are today. This volume brings together authorities from disparate fields to offer new insights into the diets of our ancestors. Paleontologists, archaeologists, primatologists, nutritionists and other researchers all contribute pieces to the puzzle. The book has four sections: Reconstructed diets based on hominin fossils--tooth size, shape, structure, wear, and chemistry, mandibular biomechanics. Archaeological evidence of subsistence--stone tools and modified bones. Models of early hominin diets based on the diets of living primates--both human and non-human, paleoecology, and energetics. Nutritional analyses and their implications for evolutionary medicine.

Food and Western Disease: Health and nutrition from an evolutionary perspective by Staffan Lindeberg (MD at Lund University in Sweden) is the newest book promoting the paleo diet. It covers the link between diet and disease in the Western world (all major diseases, including cancer, heart disease, obesity, stroke and dementia) and towards a greater knowledge of what can be defined as the optimal human diet. Benefits and risks are detailed. The Amazon reviews are all 5 stars. Especially read Susan Schenck's detailed review. You can read a preview at Google Books

The Carnitine Miracle by Robert Crayhon, M.S. The nutrient carnitine is abundant in red meat. According to Crayhon carnitine helps balance blood lipids and blood sugar levels, maximizes energy levels, increases endurance, eliminates discomfort in ketosis, promotes burning of fat and building of muscle and increases overall well-being. See reviews at Amazon.

The Evolution Diet: All-Natural and Allergy Free by Joseph SB Morse. Included in this edition is a detailed section on the most common food allergies and intolerances: dairy, egg, peanut, seafood, shellfish, soy, tree nut, and wheat (including celiac).

The Dietary Cure for Acne by Loren Cordain PH.D. describes how acne happens and then shows the relationship between the food we eat and acne. The diet is paleo-like and very strict. Many reviews rave about their success and the Amazon.com reviews average to 5 stars.

Food in Antiquity: A Survey of the Diet of Early Peoples (Expanded Edition) by Don R. Brothwell and Patricia Brothwell is a survey of what is known archaeologically about food and drink in pre-modern times. The chapter on insects includes their food value. In beverages it covers what happens to a neglected jar of fruit juice. Under cannibalism it shows evidence of this being done in paleo times, thought most of the work focuses on the classical and near-eastern civilizations, but occasional mention is made of the mesoamerican cultures as well. There is taxonomic and anatomical information.

Human Diet: Its Origin and Evolution edited by Peter S. Ungar & Mark F. Teaford. This volume brings together experts in human and primate ecology, paleontology, and evolutionary medicine. Authors offer their unique perspectives on the evolution of the human diet and the implications of recent changes in diet for health and nutrition today.

TBK Fitness Program by Tamir Katz shows how to achieve fitness through a healthy, natural hunter-gatherer diet along with a comprehensive exercise program with over 60 different bodyweight exercises of varying difficulty targeting all of the muscles in the body. Also included is a detailed discussion of nutrition and the diseases of civilization based on scientific research, information on stress management and preventive medicine, recommendations on vitamin and supplement use, tips on how to make your fitness program succeed where others have failed, tips on food shopping and preparation, sample meals, and more. The Amazon reviews average to 4+ stars.

Paleonutrition by Mark Q. Sutton, Kristin D. Sobolik, and Jill K. Gardner is the analysis of prehistoric human diets and the interpretation of dietary intake in relation to health and nutrition. This is a substantial text that combines background to paleonutrition, an extensive bibliography, a discussion on methods, and case studies. Published February 23, 2010.

Primitive Man and His Food by Arnold Paul De Vries. Published in 1952 this is the first book with an evolutionary component and could be considered the beginning of the paleo diet movement. Used copies are available on Amazon.

The Stone Age Diet: Based on in-depth studies of human ecology and the diet of man by Walter L. Voegtlin. This was self-published back in 1975. Only a couple hundred copies were printed and distributed to friends and relatives. No one knew the book existed until some years later. In no way is he the father of the paleo diet. It is impossible to purchase. Apparently his descendents are planning a reprint, though the book is poorly written and not based upon factual anthropological information that even was available then. We have put up his Functional and Structural Comparison of Man's Digestive Tract with that of a Dog and Sheep. And a PDF can be found here.

Eat Like a Dinosaur: Recipe & Guidebook for Gluten-free Kids by Paleo Parents. The Book is a colorful children's story describing the paleo diet, chock-full of recipes without grains, dairy, soy or refined sugar. For those with food allergies, the top 8 allergens have been visually marked on each recipe for children to self-identify recipes that may contain eggs, nuts, fish, or shellfish. Published March 20, 2012.

Paleo Pals: Jimmy and the Carrot Rocket Ship by Sarah Fragoso. Piper, Phoenix and Parker are not ordinary children–they are super heroes that travel the land helping other children learn about living the healthiest, most exciting, most super lives possible. They are known as The Paleo Pals, and this is a story about how they help out Jimmy, a little boy who is not sure if eating paleo food is even one tiny bit exciting or super. Published February 7, 2012.

Paleo Comfort Foods: Homestyle Cooking in a Gluten-Free Kitchen by Julie Sullivan Mayfield and Charles Mayfield. Implementing paleo guidelines and principles in this book (no grains, no gluten, no legumes, no dairy), the Mayfields give you 100+ recipes and full color photos with entertaining stories throughout. The recipes in Paleo Comfort Foods can help individuals and families alike lose weight, eat healthy and achieve optimum fitness, making this way of eating sustainable, tasty and fun. The many reviews at Amazon are basically flawless. The sole complaint is over the lack of nutritional information. But there is no counting on the paleo diet and its inclusion would have been inappropriate. Published September 10, 2011.

Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat by Melissa Joulwan has recipes for food that you can eat every day, along with easy tips to make sure it takes as little time as possible to prepare. All recipes are made with zero grains, legumes, soy, sugar, dairy, or alcohol. Calorie-dense ingredients like dried fruit and nuts show up as flavoring, instead of primary ingredients. It will also show you how to how to mix and match basic ingredients with spices and seasonings that take your taste buds on a world tour. With 115+ original recipes and variations. The author is a popular blogger at The Clothes Make The Girl. All Amazon reviews are positive. Published December 12, 2011.

Everyday Paleo by Sarah Fragoso. Includes simple starter guide, family-friendly menus, stress-free fitness plan, eatng out survival guide, essential tips for getting the family onboard, and much more. If you have a family and you want to get them paleo, this is the cookbook to get. Published April 25, 2011.

Make it Paleo: Over 200 Grain Free Recipes For Any Occasion by Bill Staley and Hayley Mason. The book shows you how easy it is to take any dish and Make it Paleo! Adapted from Chinese, French, Mexican and classic American meals, the over 200 recipes are each accompanied by good photos and notes to ensure you recreate each dish with ease. Most recipes are ones that can be found in an ordinary cookbook. Butter and vinegar are also used, which I do not consider paleo. Published October 20, 2011.

The Primal Blueprint Cookbook: Primal, Low Carb, Paleo, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free and Gluten-Free by Mark Sisson and Jennifer Meier. Recipes include: Roasted Leg of Lamb with Herbs and Garlic, Salmon Chowder with Coconut Milk, Tomatoes Stuffed with Ground Bison and Eggs, and Baked Chocolate Custard. Recipes are simple and have limited ingredients. Complaints are the book is stuffed with unnecessary photos and proofreading could have been better, e.g. oven temperatures were left out. And recipes are not truly paleo. Despite what is on the cover dairy is used in some recipes. The Amazon reviews average to 4+ stars.

Mary Bell's Complete Dehydrator Cookbook is the classic dehydrating cookbook. Mary has spent more than twenty years traveling around the country demonstrating food dehydrators and food drying techniques.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Eating Paleo by Neely Quinn and Jason Glaspey. The book explains the diet of our hunter/gather ancestors, as well as the long-term benefits associated with it. Includes key diet guidance as well as over 100 delicious recipes. The author's site is PaleoPlan. Published April 3, 2012.

Eat WELL Feel GOOD: Practical Paleo Living by Diane Frampton has over 200 recipes that makes paleo eating simple, delicious, and ultimately, intuitive. So they claim. There are only a few reviews at Amazon. They all like the book, but their lack of details makes it appear that they are not truly independent reviews. There are a couple sample recipes at the author's site. They have a Crossfit appeal to them. Chef Rachel Albert has made some of the recipes and posted here.

The Dietitian's Guide to Eating Bugs by Daniel Calder is a comprehensive guide to the nutritional content of insects. He believes insect breeding and consumption are important elements sustainable living, particularly when it comes to complementing foraged plant material with meat products. Numerous insects contain nutrients similar to those found in more conventional livestock, except the feed to conversion ratio is much higher and they're much cheaper to breed. You can find the book at scribd. Also available in e-book format for $35.

The Paleo Recipe Book was published January 2011 with over 370 recipes. It is 396 pages full of photos. Recipes appear to be a strict paleo. Includes 8 Weeks Meal Plan and Herbs & Spices Guide. You download the PDF. This is the most popular web book. Click banner.

Nikki Young has Paleo Cookbooks where she sells two Paleo Cookbooks (plus bonus recipes) in PDF format for instant download. There is also now a "Simple Paleo Recipes" Cookbook.

Diet Prevents Polio by Dr Sandler is a web site on a 50 year old book where he argues that low blood sugar, due to a high carb diet, makes one susceptible to polio, and other viruses and disease. He did research showing that a meat based diet, very low carb, keeps blood sugar stable.

When out hunting and gathering our paleo ancestors would have been barefooted. They would have been walking on dirt and stone. The soles of their feet would have been tough. Ours aren't.

Vibram FiveFingers:

There are two lines of barefoot shoes. The more popular, but much more radical, are Vibram's FiveFingers. You can find the various styles at Amazon.com. Two of the popular styles are discussed below.

When you're scrambling up a rocky bluff or bounding along a riverbank, the last thing you want is gravel and grit seeping into your FiveFingers. The Vibram FiveFingers KSO is an all-new design with thin, abrasion-resistant stretch polyamide and breathable stretch mesh that wraps your entire forefoot to "Keep Stuff Out." A single hook-and-loop closure helps secure the fit. Non-marking Vibram TC1 performance rubber soles are razor-siped for a sure grip. KSO IS BEST FOR: Light Trekking, Climbing, Canyoneering, Running, Fitness Training, Martial Arts, Yoga, Pilates, Sailing, Boating, Kayaking, Canoeing, Surfing, Flats Fishing, Travel. Available in Black or Grey/Palm/Clay.

The Vibram Fivefingers KSO Trek is a more rugged version of the popular KSO. Made from K-100 high performance kangaroo leather, the KSO Trek boasts extreme strength for excellent durability; amazing breathability; perspiration resistance to prevent sweat damage and prolong shoe life; and features MicrobloK anti-microbial treatment. These Vibram shoes are made for rugged outdoor use, providing grip and traction over a variety of surfaces. Additionally, the individual toe pockets separate and strengthen toes to improve balance, agility, and range of motion; while the thin EVA midsole and Vibram Performance rubber outsole allows your feet to move the way nature intended. The Vibram FiveFingers KSO Trek Shoes are perfect for light trekking, trail running, fitness walking, and travel.

VivoBarefoot

The line of VivoBarefoot shoes have a design based on the simple principle that being barefoot is the healthiest way for you and your feet to be. An ultra thin (3mm) puncture resistant sole allows your feet to be as millions of years of evolutionary design intended Barefoot! There are many styles with each in many colors. Plus many more styles that are not available through Amazon.com. Many of them are conventionally styled and can be worn to work. For the current models see Amazon.com. One style is discussed below.

The EVO is designed to be the ultimate minimalist running shoe. The TPU Cage has breathable mesh and lightweight micro fiber reinforcements for maximum breathability and support while only weighing in at 7 ounces. The updated slim line VivoBarefoot shape and new ultra thin (4mm) soft rubber sole give maximum barefoot performance and response. The EVO is like running barefoot, but a little bit better. 100% Vegan.

Footskins Moccasins

A more traditional minimalist shoe is a moccasin. Footear by Footskins has a line of them. The are available in a variety of soles, e.g. crepe soles (shoe-like with a heal), rubber soles (more flexible), molded soles (thinner and more lightweight but still suitable for outdoors), and leather canoe softsoles (for mostly indoor use). For more see What Are The Main Differences In Your Soles? The moccasin uppers come in a leather choice of deerskin or cowhide. Deerskin is more flexible and is the preferred material to achieve the barefoot equivalent. I bought a pair for around the house as pictured here. I found it cheaper to buy through Amazon.com. See moccasins by New and Bestselling for: Men's and Women's.

The Paleo Diet is Loren Cordain's site. It promotes his book and also includes, for free download, PDF files of all of his scientific articles on Paleo Diet. His excellent FAQ has recently been completely revamped. You should also subscribe to his weekly mailing list.

Did Cooked Tubers Spur the Evolution of Big Brains? by Elizabeth Pennisi discusses the Wrangham hypothesis, which argues that our ancestors have been cooking food for 1.9 million years, and that plant foods did play a key role, especially in the form of roots and tubers, and especially cooked.

Origins and Evolution of Human Diet is an academic web site devoted to discussion of evolution and the human diet. Especially don't miss the articles on the conferences link! And in them especially see Boyd Eaton's Evolution, Diet and Health which argues that current w-6 : w-3 imbalance together with absolute dietary DHA intake quite low in human evolutionary perspective may be relevant to the frequency of unipolar depression.

Hunters and Gatherers Anthropology is a course taught by Raymond Hames at U. of Nebraska. Includes lecture notes on the book The Foraging Spectrum which outlines the important research issues, theory, and problems in hunter-gatherer research. His site has many other sub-pages that shouldn't be missed. [Now in archive.org]

How to Carve an Elephant is a chapter in Making Silent Stones Speak: Human Evolution and the Dawn of Technology by Kathy D. Schick and Nicholas Toth (1993). A cute writeup on some archaeologists that showed that a dead elephant can be carved up using the simple tools that were available 1.5 - 1.9 million years ago. [Now in archive.org]

Do dietary lectins cause disease? is an editorial in the British Medical Journal which suggests that lectins, which are high in cereals, potatoes, and beans, may be behind some autoimmune diseases. Free registration now required to read the article.

Fattening cattle with corn changes the lipid balance and is clearly not the natural diet for a grass eating cow. In Simple change in cattle diets could cut E. coli infection researchers have found that when cattle were fed hay or grass for just five days before slaughter, much less E. Coli cells were present in the animal's feces and virtually all surviving E. coli bacteria were not acid-resistant and were killed by human stomach acid.

'First farmers' with no taste for grain is an article by Mike Richards on the use of meat in ancient British Isles diets. The suggestion is that the Brits were depending primarily on meat for their nutritition up to around 2000 B.C.

Kristin D. Sobolik is Professor of Anthropology and Quaternary Studies at U. of Maine. She has a home page which did list her publications, many of which are on prehistoric diets. However the site was reorganized and they disappeared. E-mail her.

The following links tend towards news reports of scientific studies that point out some positive aspect of the paleo diet. If you are looking for current news reports, I suggest signing up for Google Alerts for the Type: News. I have three set up, for: "caveman diet," "paleo diet," and "paleolithic diet." You can also set them up for blogs and/or websites.

Processed Carbs = Breast Cancer? reports on a study finds that women who ate the most carbs had twice the risk of breast cancer compared to women who ate the least amount.

Old Bones Hint At Fatal Neanderthal Flaw has quote: Vegetables and fruits played little role in the diets of Neanderthals and early modern humans, he said. "They were eating some (vegetables and fruits), but it was not enough to show up in their bone chemistry," Richards said.

Against the grain is mainly a review of the Dangerous Grains book, with digressions into other evidence that anti-gliadin antibodies cause numerous non-intestinal problems.

Better Beef is an introductory article on the health benefits of grass-fed beef.

The Soft Science of Dietary Fat is a summary of an article in Science Magazine reporting that mainstream nutritional science has demonized dietary fat, yet 50 years and hundreds of millions of dollars of research have failed to prove that eating a low-fat diet will help you live longer. In fact, there are good reasons to believe high-carbohydrate diets may be even worse than high-fat diets. Here is the text from the original article by Gary Taubes.

Vilhjalmur Stefansson spent many years as an Eskimo among Eskimos. After a year experiment eating only meat at Bellevue Hospital, he wrote about his experiment and his years as an Eskimo in Adventures in Diet, a three part series Harper's Monthly Magazine, November 1935 - January 1936.

Fishy clue to rise of humans reports that by studying the chemicals that remained in the bones of the earliest modern humans, scientists discovered that their diet, included fish and fowl as well as large mammals. The Neanderthals, on the other hand, only ate large mammals, which became extinct.

Homocysteine A Possible Risk Factor For Alzheimer's discusses an association between Alzheimer's disease and moderately-elevated blood levels of the amino acid, homocysteine. Homocysteine levels can be reduced by consumption of foods with folic acid and vitamin B12, i.e. greens and meat.

The discovery of fire speculates that man controlled fire 1.6 million years ago. Circumstantial evidence also suggests that they were cooking their food. (This is a version of the article in New Scientist by John McCrone, May 2000.)

Insulin-Like Compound Predicts Stroke Risk states that insulin resistance (which is usually caused by excessive carb intake, meaning that caused by normal intake of grains and sugar) is a predictor (i.e. indicates increase risk) of strokes.

New Human Ancestor? Two and a half million years ago a humanlike creature in what is now Ethiopia raised a stone and smashed it down on an antelope bone to get at the marrow and fat inside. This is the earliest known evidence of a stone tool used to butcher an animal.

New Species Of Human Ancestor has the oldest evidence yet of tool-assisted meat-eating. They also ate catfish and horse. Note the bit about "high fat meat"!

A taste for meat argues that our ancestors three million years ago ate a lot of small mammals that could be caught without tools.

In What the Hominid Ate by analyzing carbon atoms in tooth enamel researchers challenge the widely held belief that these 3 million year ago homnoids ate little more than fruits and leaves. [now in archive.org]

Of course Wikipedia has a page on the Paleolithic Diet. It is quite thorough. It also isn't clear about the lean/fatty meat debate between the followers of Loren Cordain and a slew of others, and pushes lean meat. It is weak on the variations of the diet. Then it restricts fermented beverages. Even butterflies eat fermented fruit. Why wouldn't our paleo ancestors also?

The Vitamin D Council starts off their site with Understanding Vitamin D Cholecalciferol. The site can answer all your questions on why most people are not getting enough Vitamin D, why you should care about this, and what you can do about it.

The Weston A. Price Foundation was set up by Sally Fallon and Mary Enig. Like the Price-Pottenger Nutritional Foundation, with which they were previously affiated, it is not completely paleo in its recommendations (e.g. they like raw dairy and whole grains). But lots of good articles nonetheless. Some selected ones (out of many, many more):

Nexus Magazine has two articles for sale for $1.50 each: Tragedy and Hype, a very comprehensive article on soy that appeared in the magazine. It shows how the soy industry manipulated things to turn their toxic food into a health food. Also is The Hidden Dangers of Soy Allergens.

Ray Peat's Newsletter has a web site with some sample articles. There are two articles of interest to Paleodieters: "The Benefits of Coconut Oil" and "Toxicity of Unsaturated Oils." When you click on them then select open.

The Price-Pottenger Nutrition Foundation promotes some Paleolithic nutrition concepts, though they recommend dairy, a non-paleo food. Many good articles worth reading there, though it looks like you now have to join to read the full article.

The Homocysteine Revolution is an interview with Dr. Kilmer McCully. High homocysteine levels have been connected with heart disease. Folic acid (highest in leafy green vegetables) and B12 (abundant in animal proteins) help keep homocysteine levels under control.

In an interview with Mary G. Enig, Ph.D. She expresses clearly her well qualified opinion that saturated fats are NOT the problem they are reputed to be. Over two pages starting here: Health Risks from Processed Foods and Trans Fats. [Web site problems?]

Insulin and It's Metabolic Effects by Ron Rosedale MD deals with insulin as the "master switch" for a large number of disease processes. Argues that low insulin is key for long lifespan. Overly long.

Elson M. Haas, M.D. has written a nice summary of Types of Diets. Has sections on the Paleolithic and 14 other diets. Put up by Healthy Net. [Web site problems?]

Dr Stoll's Sugar and Immunity is an article on the Leukocytic Index which shows the devastating effect of refined carbohydrates on immunity.

The Skinny on Fat is an overview of the different types of fat and their uses in the body by Dr. Michael G. Kurilla, M.D.

Why Americans Are So Fat by William Faloon blames a deficiency of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) for why we have become fat. CLA is found in beef and milk fat, both of which are decreasing in our diets. In addition CLA is much lower in grain fed cows than in grass fed ones.

Just Game Recipes has just what it says. Not all are paleo, but lots of good ideas for cooking game.

A dehydrator is a great implement for making your own paleo snacks. Especially jerky and pemmican. You want a temperature control as a lower temperature is better. The Nesco FD-75PR 700-Watt Food Dehydrator is the top selling dehydrator at Amazon.com, where it ships free.

The Excalibur 9-Tray Dehydrator, Model 3900, is second best selling at Amazon.com. The 2900 (without a timer, which I don't have and don't see a need for) is the one I have. The best prices are at Amazon.com. You can get disposable sheets for making raw food cookies, pizza and bars.

PaleoHacks is web-based forum to ask and answer questions. The interface is interesting and you can earn badges for increased participation.

Paleoscience is a Yagoo group for academics, scientists, professionals and others with a high level knowledge of Ancestral Health issues, particularly the paleolithic diet and lifestyle and its implications for modern health problems.

CrossFit has a Nutrition Forum that covers diet, supplements, weightloss, health & longevity. It is not all paleo, but much of it is.

Meetup has a growing number of paleo groups, now numbering in the dozens. Each has a local message board. They have a map of Paleo Diet Meetups around the world. Initially I tried listing them all here. The number grew and Meetup wasn't letting me find groups in newest order, except for my zip code. You now have to go there to find the one nearest you.

While not organized as a Meetup group, there is Eating Paleo in Montréal that gets together for dinners and social events.

The Raw Paleo Diet & Lifestyle site is a resource created by members of the Raw Paleolithic Diet community for people looking to improve their health by choosing a more historically natural approach to diet, fitness and lifestyle. They have two forums: Raw Paleo Forum. It has some activity. And Raw Paleo Diet, or RVAF Raw Veg and Animal Foods Group, a forum for followers of semi-RPD diets, (such as Aajonus Vonderplanitz's Primal Diet/Weston-Price Diet/Sally Fallon/Instincto) and followers of the NeanderThin/Paleo/Stefansson Diets, who, for health reasons, wish to pursue a more fully Raw, Paleolithic variation of those diets.

Live-Food Mailing List for persons interested in learning about and experimenting with the use of raw animal foods, and specifically, in the work Aajonus Vonderplanitz. It is recommended that members of the list be familiar with Aajonus Vonderplanitz and his book, We Want to Live.

EatBugs is a Yahoo group on insect appreciation and eating them for lunch! Now inactive.

The PaleoDIET mailing list is a RESEARCH oriented list. To get a subscription questionnaire send a message to listserv@listserv.icors.org with SUB PALEODIET yourfirstname yourlastname in the body. Actual subscriptions are processed by the list owner. Now inactive. Searchable archives of the mailing list are useful.